Pause On The Play

So, you want to diversify your network authentically. Where do you begin? The process can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re not quite sure how to define your goals. Those efforts can also lead to tokenism without thoughtful consideration given to the people behind the demographics.

Erica and India return to break down the concept of network diversification with actionable and, yes, authentic steps to help you broaden your associations as well as cultivate greater awareness of the world around you. 

In this discussion:

• Defining authenticity and diversity in the context of network development
• Identifying new-to-you sources for information, art, and opinion
• Vetting your roster of go-to experts
• Avoiding the pitfalls of tokenization
• Reconsidering your normal
• Connecting to a variety of opportunities

Concepts are better explored in community. Actions are more lasting when taken alongside other imperfect allies. Connect with a cohort of entrepreneurs and change makers at the intersection of values and visibility. 

Join us at pauseontheplay.com/community

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Your desire to amplify communities and help organizations, or consume diverse sources of media and participate in truly inclusive events can have a meaningful impact––if you’re willing to examine the intentions behind those goals. 

Erica offers three prompts designed to help folks reflect on their motives and raise self-awareness on the path to doing things differently.

In this discussion:

• Acknowledging the use of and meaning behind self-centered “I” statements 
• Recognizing urgency and its effects on your motive
• Examining the duality of your intentions
• Honoring the evolutionary process of doing differently

Become part of a support system that honors your evolution as an imperfect ally. Inspired suggestions, honest feedback, and open dialogue exist when you’re part of Pause On The Play The Community.

You’re never alone in this work. Join us at pauseontheplay.com/community

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From news stories to social media ads, general statistical indicators such as age, race, gender, and income still provide the basis for evaluating others––whether consciously or unconsciously. Why, when we can do so much better?

Erica and India lead by example, offering a primer on how to replace those quantitative, often reductive, demographics with psychographics, a more insightful, qualitative way of understanding folks by honoring their values, interests, lifestyle choices, and opinions. 

In this discussion:

• An introduction to demographics vs psychographics
• Acknowledging the role demographics plays in clarifying our own biases
• How traditional media, social media, and marketing have all contributed to the heavy reliance on demographics over psychographics
• Embodying our roles as “influencers” to promote broader use of psychographics
• How the evolving nature of an individual’s values is more accurately reflected in psychographic data
• Integrating psychographic awareness into personal and professional relationships

Ready to level up your understanding and use of psychographics? Join Erica Courdae and India Jackson for one of their final masterclasses of the year! From Implicit to Explicit: Leading Through Your Values is a small-group virtual event that supports entrepreneurs and leaders as they explore, identify, and integrate values throughout their brand or business. Details at pauseontheplay.com/events. 

Need guidance but can’t attend either of the masterclass sessions? Book a private session with the team. Details at https://pauseontheplay.as.me/explicit.

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Naomi Osaka. Simone Biles. What do they have in common beyond their elite athletic achievements? They’re the latest in a growing number of Black women who’ve publicly pushed back against an unrelenting narrative that minimizes their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing––their humanness.

Erica celebrates the power and courageousness of invoking the word NO! in a world that continues to label Black women as both too much and never enough.

In this discussion:

• Acknowledging Black exhaustion
• Unpacking internal resistance to saying “no”
• Amplifying our worth and value as people, not commodities, out loud
• Reclaiming our autonomy related to our physical, emotional, and mental well-being
• Creating safe spaces for ourselves and others to own their “no”
• Witnessing Black women and honoring us in our everyday existence 

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Visit the website for the full articles at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show

Explore worlds outside of your normal, witness and honor the beauty of alternative versions, and learn by example how to live out loud. Join Erica Courdae and India Jackson at Dropping The Veil, their 3-day virtual event featuring a diverse panel of guests. Thursday, August 12 through Saturday, August 14. Details at pauseontheplay.com/events. 

Leadership is less this is what I do, and more this is my way of being. But how to fully express that principle throughout your business, your brand, your life? Transparent communication can get you there.

You already know we’re keen on the power of conversation here Pause On The Play. A strategy of open dialogue telegraphs your values to those you work with, for, and around. 

Erica breaks down five essential, actionable steps that will ensure every aspect of your business is aligned and embodies your core beliefs.

In this discussion:

• Defining the concept of leadership
• Exploring the power of vulnerability and transparency
• Why engaging your team in the dialogue strengthens working relationships
• Considering core values when working with outside service providers
• Why aligning team evaluation methods is important to values integration
• Living team values out loud
• Creating space for challenging conversations and inviting honest feedback 

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Visit the website for the full articles at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show

Here’s your invitation to join Erica Courdae and India Jackson in transparent conversation. Dropping The Veil, is their 3-day virtual event featuring a diverse panel of guests who have chosen to be more of who they are out loud in order to demonstrate what’s possible. 

Thursday, August 12 - Saturday, August 14. Details at pauseontheplay.com/events. 

Hey guys, where do you stand on language usage? If you aren’t already picking apart the previous sentence, it’s time to cultivate greater awareness around the societal and cultural conditioning that lurks beneath seemingly innocuous words and phrases.

Erica and India are joined by author and award-winning life coach Hanneke Antonelli to examine the impact our word choices have on promoting implicit gendered, ableist, and racist biases, among others. They also provide steps for incorporating inclusive language into everyday exchanges, complete with a teachable moment in real time. 

In this discussion:

• The lifelong process of deprogramming from historically acceptable, offensive language
• How your word choice impacts others
• Cultivating an awareness of cultural and community nuances
• The power of accountability and accepting feedback
• Establishing boundaries around what words or phrases you will and won’t accept
• Questioning word usage and a subsequent course correction in real time

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Visit the website for the full articles at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show

When you’re in conversation with others, you gain perspective, question conditioning, and create change. These moments don’t happen unless you feel comfortable talking, sharing, and being yourself in a shame- and blame-free space. 

Here’s your invitation to join Erica Courdae and India Jackson at Dropping The Veil, their 3-day virtual event featuring a diverse panel of guests. Details at pauseontheplay.com/events. 

Be sure to rate + review the podcast!

Everyone’s mental health journey is unique to their history, personality, and access to support. But as divergent as our paths might seem, no one ever truly walks alone.

Erica and India combine full transparency with softness in this intimate look at their personal relationships with trauma and healing. They share the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of their experiences with anyone struggling to express complex feelings.  

CONTENT DISCLOSURE: This conversation covers physical, mental, and sexual trauma, including sexual violence and its aftermath. Please take care of yourself with this material. Neither Erica Courdae nor India Jackson is a mental health professional. Their insights are provided for conversational purposes only and not meant to diagnose or treat physical and/or mental health issues.

In this discussion:

• Language to support individual narratives around mental health, especially for Black and Brown folks
• Examples of physical and emotional responses to “big T” traumas
• Effects of generational trauma
• Honoring rest and recovery as part of the healing process
• Self-directed education on topics related to mental wellbeing
• Numbing and what happens in the absence of access to such activities
• Experimenting with healing modalities and personal practices
• The right vs the privilege to seek support and pay that forward

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Visit the website for the full articles at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show

Cause and effect take on a whole new meaning within Pause On The Play The Community. Here, Erica and India guide members through the process of picking a cause to support. Members can positively impact their chosen cause - say, mental health - via activities that support its purpose and visibility. Spark honest, transparent, and vulnerable conversations about healing with fellow community members at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/community.

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Wanting to make an impact is amazing! Action for action’s sake, however, is unproductive. Before attempting to create change, imperfect allies need to first get clear on their motivations, their timing, and the intended beneficiaries of their efforts. 

Erica returns with a swift solo conversation to provide four foundational questions for everyone to ask before moving into action. 

In this discussion:

• Values as the standard by which all actions are measured
• The perils of fear-based motivation
• Timing and the benefit of long-term efforts over scattered acts
• Connecting the steps and sustaining momentum

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Visit the website for the full articles at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show

Accountability is one of the greatest gifts that Pause On The Play The Community has to offer. Turn your desire to make an impact into tangible change - in your business, your community, the world. Join our values-based hub for entrepreneurs and change makers today.

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Versions of the same narrative have cropped up everywhere lately: no one wants to work anymore! Don’t be fooled; behind the headline lies the story of what may be the largest migration of workers out of corporate America in history. 

Whether you’re reluctantly headed back into the office after 15+ months of working from home or giving serious thought to calling it quits, there’s no denying that something has shifted in our collective attitude about “work.” The question is, what’s the next step on this path toward building a more holistic, empathetic workplace for all?

Erica and India invite Jeff Harry to share his ideas around the bold new future of work. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that when we know our worth, we can exact pressure on the corporate status quo and create lasting change.

In this discussion:

• Code-switching and its effects on Black and Brown workers
• How corporate shaming and gaslighting feed claims of worker laziness
• What does “professionalism” look like going forward?
• The toxicity inherent to old-guard corporate culture
• The racist origins of corporate productivity metrics
• The power of visibility
• Shifting workplace dynamics in favor of labor
• How to challenge the corporate structure

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Visit the website for the full articles at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show

Possibilities unfold when we challenge the status quo. Power evolves when we engage in conversation with folks whose perspectives differ from our own. We call this “community.” Embrace what’s possible by joining us at http://pauseontheplay.com/community. 

Website 

LinkedIn -@jeffharryplays

Instagram - @jeffharryplays

TikTok - @jeffharryplays

Jeff Harry combines positive psychology and plays to help teams/organizations navigate difficult conversations and assist individuals in addressing their biggest challenges through embracing a play-oriented approach to work. For his work, Jeff was selected by BambooHR & Engagedly as one of the Top 100 HR Influencers of 2020 and has been featured in the NY Times, Mashable, Upworthy, & Shondaland.  

Jeff has worked with Google, Microsoft, Southwest Airlines, Adobe, the NFL, Amazon, and Facebook, helping their staff to infuse more play into the day-to-day.

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How much do you know about the powerhouse duo behind Pause On The Play The Community? How much do Erica and India know about each other? 

It’s time for another round of revealing Qs and intersecting As. As membership inquiries and interest in their values-based approach to visibility continue to grow, Erica and India take this opportunity to reintroduce themselves to new folks and those who’ve followed these discussions for a while. 

In this discussion:

• Divergent experiences and common themes throughout Erica and India’s relationship
• The triumphant, continual journey from grief to growth
• Black entrepreneurship and the importance of living by example
• Black hair and identity politics in the workplace
• Honoring ancestors and building generational legacies

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Visit the website for the full articles at https://www.pauseontheplay.com/show

Turn powerful conversations into lasting legacies. Create the change you want to see by joining our values-based hub for entrepreneurs and change makers at Pause On The Play The Community. 

Be sure to rate + review the podcast!